A family study of dermatoglyphic traits in India: segregation analysis of accessory palmar triradii and the atd angle

Accessory triradii and the atd angle were examined via complex segregation analysis in order to evaluate possible genetic effects on these dermatoglyphic traits, measured in an endogamous Brahmin caste of peninsular India. The phenotypes considered included: presence of accessory palmar triradii a' and d', associated with the interdigital areas II and IV, respectively; presence of an accessory axial triradius tt' associated with the proximal margin of the palm; and an arctanh-transformation of the atd angle measurement. For all accessory triradii considered in the present investigation familial resemblance was evident. The most parsimonious model which could account for the observed resemblance was a multifactorial model that includes polygenic effects as well as transmissible environmental effects that are inherited in the same pattern as polygenes. Evidence of familial resemblance was also found for the arctanh-transformed atd angle, which could be attributed, initially, to both a major effect and a multifactorial component. Tests of transmission of a putative major gene were performed which yielded results consistent with Mendelian transmission, although an alternative test of no transmission of the major effect also fit the data. In light of these contrasting results we are precluded from accepting with confidence the notion of a major gene influence on the atd angle. We have concluded that the accessory triradii a', d', and tt', and the atd angle are influenced by multifactorial effects, including additive polygenes and possible environmental factors, such as intrauterine effects.     

Diversity of C-line terminations in Iranian populations

Thirteen Iranian populations of diverse origins have been analyzed for C-line terminations, utilizing bilateral palmar prints of 3,158 individuals. Significant bimanual and male/female differences were frequently found in these populations. Interpopulational variation displayed significant heterogeneity. Distance analysis and constructed dendrograms provided separation between the populations, but the dendrograms are not in agreement with the ethnohistoric records of the populations studied.     

新疆柯尔克孜族肤纹初步研究

本文报道新疆柯尔克孜族肤纹参数的正常值,样本中有男女各500例,本文的研究包括13类,它们是:指纹总嵴数,a-b间嵴数,指纹,指间花纹,大鱼际纹,小鱼际纹,猿线,掌指c三叉缺失,多个t三叉点,(足母)趾球部纹,足小鱼际纹,趾间纹,足跟纹。     

Digital dermatoglyphic patterns in a sample of the Nigerian population

Eight hundred Nigerians (400 males and 400 females) were screened for the analysis of digital dermatoglyphic patterns. The frequency distribution of the patterns are 52.09%, 27.67%, 19.20% and 1.13% for ulnar loops, whorls, arches and radial loops respectively. Except for arches, the males have more of the patterns than females. The pattern intensity indices for males and females are 11.2 and 9.9 respectively. Bilateral symmetry is similar in both sexes and the percent distribution is as high as 81.5% and 84% on digit V in males and females respectively.     

Absence of triradius d in a three-generation pedigree and other variations of main-line D

An example is reported of a rare dermatoglyphic variant (absence of triradius d) in a woman of mixed European and Cherokee American Indian ancestry. This variant was not present in her parents, her five siblings, four nephews or one niece. Attention is drawn to the continuum from an absent triradius d to a triradius with an abbreviated main-line associated with either an open field in interdigital area IV, or a loop in interdigital area IV or a tented arch at d. This same continuum occurs at c. The absent triradius at d is extremely rare and the tented arch at d is very rare.     

A comparison of dermatoglyphic methodologies in population studies

Use of dermatoglyphics in population studies has been marked by a great deal of methodological variation among investigators. We compare various dermatoglyphic approaches using data derived from four groups in the Kumaon region of India. Dermatoglyphic data included ridge-counts and other quantitative variables, and the classification systems of Cummins and Midlo and Penrose and Loesch. Results were evaluated against anthropometric and serological relationships. No clearly superior approach emerges, although it is generally true that palmar variables exhibit more intergroup heterogeneity than digital variables and produce more reasonable results than the other approaches. The conventional method of treating ridge-counts, that of choosing the larger of the two counts, was the most unsatisfactory of the quantitative approaches, leading to the recommendation that both radial and ulnar counts be retained. We conclude that environmental variation may contribute substantially to intergroup variation.     

Diversity of palmar pattern ridge counts in Iranian populations

We analyzed bilateral palmar prints of 3,158 individuals from 13 Iranian populations of diverse origins for palmar pattern ridge counts. Right palms did not show greater counts than the left in the majority of the populations studied. Highly significant interpopulational variation was observed for most palmar areas of both males and females. Dendrograms of males and combined sexes showed a good fit with the ethnohistoric background of the populations studied. The results thus demonstrate variation in the palmar pattern ridge counts of populations of diverse origins and may be used as a good measure of population distance.     

白族手掌主线分布的研究

目的:研究300名正常白族人的手掌主线分布,为人类学、医学、遗传学提供正常参数。方法:在知情同意手续下,捺印调查对象的手纹。结果:A主线,Ⅲ型占96%、Ⅴ型2.17%、Ⅰ型1.83%;B主线,Ⅴ型93%、Ⅶ型7%;C主线,Ⅴ型44.5%、Ⅶ型40.67%、Ⅸ型11.67%、O型3.16%;D主线,Ⅸ型47%、Ⅶ型46%、Ⅺ型7%。主线分布以35′5″7、35′79、35″79为主(占76.67%)。39.67%的个体双手主线对称分布,以35′5″7为主(15%)。MLI平均为6.25±1.37,MLIT为22.52±3.00,二者均为男性大于女性(P0.05)。3.17%的个体缺失c三叉。结论:白族人的手掌主线和其他民族有共性又有其特异性。     

Empirical comparison of distance equations using discrete traits

The use of the Grewal-Smith statistic in measuring biological distance among skeletal population samples has been questioned since it was first applied to human populations. Recently, in an attempt to stabilize the variance of the Grewal-Smith statistic for use with non-metric analysis, Sjøvold ('73) and Green and Suchey ('76) have introduced corrections and alternative transformations which may enhance the meaning of biological distance among population samples. Their recommendations improve the statistics for specific variable ranges; i.e., small sample size and low trait frequencies. Thirteen equations representing Grewal-Smith, Freeman-Tukey, Anscombe, and Bartlett transformations and/or corrections, were compared using rank order correlation statistics on actual biological distances generated by real population data as presented in existing literature. Results from testing these actual distance models show little variation between equations based on the populational data sets used. Based on these findings, the distance model resulting from the Grewal-Smith statistic is not inferior to the more sophisticated models, although the latter may be superior by allowing specific improvements for small sample size and/or low trait frequencies.     

A collation of marker gene and dermatoglyphic diversity at various levels of population differentiation

The use of dermatoglyphic traits to describe interpopulational diversity among human populations at various levels of differentiation is compared with similar analysis of gene frequency data by means of nonparametric methods employing distance matrices and dendrograms, and by a partition of total variability into its between and within population components. Congruence of dermatoglyphics and gene markers appears to vary with level of population differentiation — the association remains insignificant until racial level of differentiation is considered. Different pitfalls of the data used are mentioned. The interpretation of these findings is discussed by comparison with other non-human studies.     

The effect of a pattern in palmar interdigital II on a-b ridge count in black and white Down syndrome cases and controls

An unconfirmed study by Fang (Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of London, 1950) in Britain showed that individuals with Down syndrome had lower total a-b ridge counts in palmar Interdigital area II (ID II) than a group of controls. This study compares 603 white Down syndrome cases and 93 black Down syndrome cases with 668 white and 402 black controls. Our results confirm those of Fang in that the Down syndrome cases in both racial groups had lower total a-b ridge counts than their respective controls. In addition, the black controls and Down syndrome cases had lower a-b ridge counts than their white counterparts. The mean a-b ridge count was significantly lower in individuals with a pattern in ID II compared to individuals without a pattern in ID II in both the Down syndrome and control groups. Some of the lower a-b ridge counts in the Down syndrome samples can be accounted for by the fact that there is an increased frequency of a pattern in ID II in Down syndrome cases. Both Down syndrome and normal individuals who had a pattern unilaterally had a lower than expected a-b ridge count on the contralateral hand that did not have a pattern. There was a tendency also for increased asymmetry in Down syndrome cases with a pattern in ID II.     

Distribution and population variation of total number of palmar triradii among 20 Dhangar castes of Maharashtra,India

The paper deals with the bilateral palmar prints of 3000 males belonging to 20 Dhangar castes of Maharashtra which were analysed (1) to compare the pattern of variation of palmar triradii with respect to other traits, (2) to examine the degree of similarity between clusters based on dermatoglyphics anthropometry and genetic markers and (3) relating these similarities with their ethnographic and geographic proximities. The results of this study confirm the general presumptions, (a) that dermal traits, in general, and palmar characters, in particular, do help in understanding the biologic/ethnic affinities among different groups both at macro and micro levels and (b) the different types of traits, which are likely to be influenced by different genetic and/or environmental factors give rise to different clustering patterns.     

Principal components method and nonmetric two-dimensional scaling method for quantitative dermatoglyphic traits of the taimir aborigines

The quantitative dermatoglyphic traits of the Taimir aborigines have been studied in this paper. The correlation matrix of the traits was analyzed by a nonmetric two-dimensional scaling method and by a principal components method. Comparative contribution of palmar and digital traits variation to the principal components is under discussion.     

The use of quantitative traits in the study of human population structure

Studies of human population structure and history have tended to use demographic and/or serological data for analysis. This paper reviews the methods and studies that incorporate quantitative traits (usually polygenic traits) in such analyses. Methods of assessing the degree and pattern of among-group variation are discussed, and are characterized as being model-free or model-bound. Model-free methods deal with the measure of overall populational differentiation and with comparative methods for describing the pattern of differentiation. Model-bound methods are used for direct incorporation into theoretical models of population structure in order to estimate genetic parameters, such as those in admixture and isolation by distance models. To date, studies have indicated that quantitative traits may often be used successfully in studies of human population structure, and show effects of microevolutionary forces on quantitative variation among populations.     

Intrinsic nature of the three-dimensional structure of proteins as determined by distance geometry with good sampling properties

Summary A protocol for distance geometry calculation is shown to have excellent sampling properties in the determination of three-dimensional structures of proteins from nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) data. This protocol uses a simulated annealing optimization employing mass-weighted molecular dynamics in four-dimensional space (Havel, T.F. (1991) Prog. Biophys. Mol. Biol., 56, 43–78). It attains an extremely large radius of convergence, allowing a random coil conformation to be used as the initial estimate for the succeeding optimization process. Computations are performed with four systems of simulated distance data as tests of the protocol, using an unconstrained l-alanine 30mer and three different types of proteins, bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor, the -amylase inhibitor Tendamistat, and the N-terminal domain of the 434-repressor. The test of the unconstrained polypeptide confirms that the sampled conformational space is that of the statistical random coil. In the larger and more complicated systems of the three proteins, the protocol gives complete convergence of the optimization without any trace of initial structure dependence. As a result of an exhaustive conformational sampling by the protocol, the intrinsic nature of the structures generated with distance restraints derived from NMR data has been revealed. When the sampled structures are compared with the corresponding X-ray structures, we find that the averages of the sampled structures always show a certain pattern of discrepancy from the X-ray structure. This discrepancy is due to the short distance nature of the distance restraints, and correlates with the characteristic shape of the protein molecule.Abbreviations r.m.s.d. root-mean-square deviation - MD molecular dynamics - NMR nuclear magnetic resonance - NOE nuclear Overhauser enhancement - BPTI bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor     

A wearable solution for accurate step detection based on the direct measurement of the inter-foot distance

Accurate step detection is crucial for the estimation of gait spatio-temporal parameters. Although several step detection methods based on the use of inertial measurement units (IMUs) have been successfully proposed, they may not perform adequately when the foot is dragged while walking, when walking aids are used, or when walking at low speed. The aim of this study was to test an original step-detection method, the inter-foot distance step counter (IFOD), based on the direct measurement of the distance between feet. Gait data were recorded using a wearable prototype system (SWING^2DS), which integrates an IMU and two time-of-flight distance sensors (DSs). The system was attached to the medial side of the right foot with one DS positioned close to the forefoot (FORE_DS) and the other close to the rearfoot (REAR_DS). Sixteen healthy adults were asked to walk over ground for two minutes along a loop, including both rectilinear and curvilinear portions, during two experimental sessions. The accuracy of the IFOD step counter was assessed using a stereo-photogrammetric system as gold standard. The best performance was obtained for REAR_DS with an accuracy higher than 99.8% for the instrumented foot step and 88.8% for the non-instrumented foot step during both rectilinear and curvilinear walks. Key features of the IFOD step counter are that it is possible to detect both right and left steps by instrumenting one foot only and that it does not rely on foot impact dynamics. The IFOD step counter can be combined with existing IMU-based methods for increasing step-detection accuracy.     

Dermatoglyphics of schizophrenics, patients with Down's syndrome and mentally retarded males as compared with Australian Europeans using multivariate statistics.

Dermatoglyphics of schizophrenics, patients with Down's syndrome and mentally retarded males were compared with those of normal Australian Europeans. A computer programme of multivariate analysis of fifteen dermatoglyphic features was utilized. This analysis produces two significant variates of each of the populations plotted in two-dimensional space. The distance, measured in arbitrary units, between any two populations was studied for its significance. It was noticed that the patients with Down's syndrome separated significantly from the rest of the groups. The importance of multivariate analysis in the study of dermatoglyphics in comparing two or more populations is discussed.